Tuesday's letters: Full of bias

Published: Tuesday, April 1, 2014 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, March 31, 2014 at 4:48 p.m.

To the editor: A Time-News headline read: “New law lets Duke out of clean up.” Rather than looking for ways to clean up its illegal pollution, Duke Energy turned to its 28-year employee, Gov. Pat McCrory, and a Republican legislature to pass a law that clears it of any responsibility for the cleanup.

Now I hope you dyed-in-the-wool Republicans, and especially the tea party, can see the bias — government working hand and glove with large corporations at the expense of “we the people.” This sort of thing is prevalent on a national scale. A prime example is the Citizens United ruling by the Supreme Court requiring an amendment to the Constitution for its mistaken opinion.

But there is good news. Gov. McCrory is going to address education. First, he should restore teacher’s assistants and reinstate tenure, both so essential to teachers. Now teachers would be back where they were. If he is really going to do something for them, I suggest an annual bonus of $500 for teachers and $100 for assistants for the next four years. We need to bring our teachers’ salaries up to the national average to assure our students get the best teachers.

Mark A. Young

Hendersonville

Speak out

To the editor: So, Greg Brannon has been endorsed by the tea party, Rand Paul, Mike Lee and Ann Coulter (she whose name should not be spoken). Perhaps Hermann Goering, Joseph Goebbels and Adolf Hitler would lend their support if they could. Or better yet, Moe, Larry and Curly!

I do not need more information to know who I won’t be voting for — Brannon, “a (would be) senator who will join Rand Paul, Mike Lee and Ted Cruz (another whose name should not be spoken) to fight for our conservative values.”

Please, those of you who are frightened by these “conservative values” (remember the Salem witch trials, the McCarthy trials, creationism, “The Scarlet Letter” — OK, that’s fiction, almost) vote, speak out, campaign. If candidates like this are elected, it is our fault.

Richard Blue

Flat Rock

GOP luncheon

To the editor: News reports that limited coverage to the Henderson County Republican Party convention on March 22 left readers in the dark about news following that specific event.

Our annual fundraising luncheon occurred immediately after the convention. As announced publicly, U.S. Senate candidates Ted Alexander and Greg Brannon were scheduled to be our guests at the luncheon. Candidate Jim Snyder was a last-minute addition to that lineup.

In late January, every Senate candidate of record with the N.C. Republican Party was invited to join us. Only Mr. Alexander and Dr. Brannon committed to us at that time. With all 100 county Republican conventions having to occur each March, the other candidates were likely holding back. We were two weeks away from our convention before I received an affirmative response from Mr. Thom Tillis.

His positioning in the convention (and not the luncheon) was our response to continuing limitations in his calendar, and not any preference on our part.

At the end of the luncheon, we took a straw poll naming all eight Republican Senate candidates. Dr. Brannon was the choice of those polled, with 68 percent of the votes cast in his favor.

<p>To the editor: A Time-News headline read: New law lets Duke out of clean up. Rather than looking for ways to clean up its illegal pollution, Duke Energy turned to its 28-year employee, Gov. Pat McCrory, and a Republican legislature to pass a law that clears it of any responsibility for the cleanup.</p><p>Now I hope you dyed-in-the-wool Republicans, and especially the tea party, can see the bias  government working hand and glove with large corporations at the expense of we the people. This sort of thing is prevalent on a national scale. A prime example is the Citizens United ruling by the Supreme Court requiring an amendment to the Constitution for its mistaken opinion.</p><p>But there is good news. Gov. McCrory is going to address education. First, he should restore teacher’s assistants and reinstate tenure, both so essential to teachers. Now teachers would be back where they were. If he is really going to do something for them, I suggest an annual bonus of $500 for teachers and $100 for assistants for the next four years. We need to bring our teachers’ salaries up to the national average to assure our students get the best teachers.</p><p><em>Mark A. Young</em></p><p><em>Hendersonville</em></p><h3>Speak out</h3>
<p>To the editor: So, Greg Brannon has been endorsed by the tea party, Rand Paul, Mike Lee and Ann Coulter (she whose name should not be spoken). Perhaps Hermann Goering, Joseph Goebbels and Adolf Hitler would lend their support if they could. Or better yet, Moe, Larry and Curly!</p><p>I do not need more information to know who I won’t be voting for  Brannon, a (would be) senator who will join Rand Paul, Mike Lee and Ted Cruz (another whose name should not be spoken) to fight for our conservative values.</p><p>Please, those of you who are frightened by these conservative values (remember the Salem witch trials, the McCarthy trials, creationism, The Scarlet Letter  OK, that’s fiction, almost) vote, speak out, campaign. If candidates like this are elected, it is our fault.</p><p><em>Richard Blue</em></p><p><em>Flat Rock</em></p><h3>GOP luncheon</h3>
<p>To the editor: News reports that limited coverage to the Henderson County Republican Party convention on March 22 left readers in the dark about news following that specific event.</p><p>Our annual fundraising luncheon occurred immediately after the convention. As announced publicly, U.S. Senate candidates Ted Alexander and Greg Brannon were scheduled to be our guests at the luncheon. Candidate Jim Snyder was a last-minute addition to that lineup.</p><p>In late January, every Senate candidate of record with the N.C. Republican Party was invited to join us. Only Mr. Alexander and Dr. Brannon committed to us at that time. With all 100 county Republican conventions having to occur each March, the other candidates were likely holding back. We were two weeks away from our convention before I received an affirmative response from Mr. Thom Tillis.</p><p>His positioning in the convention (and not the luncheon) was our response to continuing limitations in his calendar, and not any preference on our part.</p><p>At the end of the luncheon, we took a straw poll naming all eight Republican Senate candidates. Dr. Brannon was the choice of those polled, with 68 percent of the votes cast in his favor.</p><p>Now you know the rest of the story.</p><p><em>Glen Englram</em></p><p><em>Chairman, Henderson County Republican Party</em></p>